By Anna Hirtentein and Alexander Marrow
London (Reuters) – The plans are underway for an American firm seized from the Kremlin and positioned beneath state management for use to offer meals to the Russian military, a doc seen by Reuters confirmed, probably threatening the heating relations of Moscow with the United States
While the United States and the Kremlin negotiate to cease the warfare in Ukraine, the producer of glavprodukt canned meals that was seized in October and is the one American property firm to be taken beneath state management, has been captured within the sights.
The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that his remedy can be a part of the dialog on the restoration of US-Russia relations.
The kidnapping was vital to ensure steady manufacturing, additionally for future provides to the Ministry of the National Guard and Defense, based on a letter, revised by Reuters, addressed to the Russian Prosecutor General of the brand new route of Glavprodukt.
Glavprodukt is now beneath the management of the Russian Federal Property Management Agency Rosimushchestvo which was seized by Leonid Smirnov primarily based in Los Angeles.
The Ministry of the Russian sector and commerce and Rosimushchestvo didn’t reply to requests for feedback on the plans of the State for Glavprodukt and questions on its new administration.
Russian ministries accused Smirnov and the businesses managed by him of getting moved about 1.38 billion in Rubli ($ 17 million) from Russia from 2022 to 2024, based on stories from the RBC Daily in March.
On March 12, Glavprodukt actions have been seized by the Moscow Arbitration Court on the request of the Prosecutor General Office. A listening to is scheduled for April 18. Smirnov denies unlawful and states that the trigger is a “Russian -style company raid” to steal its firm.
The Prosecutor General didn’t instantly reply to a commentary request.
About a dozen European corporations have had their Russian branches expropriated by the presidential decree, together with the Danish Brewery Carlsberg and the Finnish Utility Fortum and the Kremlin have felt extra seizures of actions.
The invasion of Ukraine ought to have been a fast operation, however the warfare has now prolonged to greater than three years, seeing the expense for the protection to extend Russia and a better management of strategic sources. In 2022, Russia was climbing for navy provides, together with meals.
Who is about to achieve from the kidnapping?
The letter examined by Reuters sheds gentle on the standing individuals to earn the expropriation. He mentioned that Rosimushchestvo appointed the brand new normal supervisor of Glavprodukt on the request of the meals producer Druzhba Narodov.
Druzhba Narodov was the one supplier of the Russian National Guard for 2019-2020, based on a 2018 press launch.
An individual who’s accustomed to the difficulty mentioned that Glavprodukt has by no means beforehand offered the Russian military.
A 2018 survey by the politician of the late opposition politician Alexei Navalny corruption fund revealed that then Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had signed in 2017 on Druzhba Narodov turning into the one supplier of the National Guard.
Property info for Druzhba Narodov is assessed, however the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported in 2022, thus quoting publicly obtainable info on the company register of Egrul Russo, that the entities associated to agriculture maintain “Agrocomplex entitled to Ni Tkachev” had acquired Druzhba Narodov.
Reuters couldn’t confirm independently that, for the reason that info was now labeled, however the participation of Agrocomplex to which reference is made and Druzhba Narodov, the identical area identify Agrocomplex.
Druzhba Narodov and Agrocomplex didn’t reply to requests for remark.
The final proprietor of the holding is Alexander Tkachev, based on the 2025 unbiased audit paperwork of the corporate, revised by Reuters.
TKACHEV, sanctioned by the European Union in 2014 for his help for Crimea’s annexation by Moscow, was appointed Russian agriculture minister the next yr and is the president of the Holding board of administrators, exhibits Limatura.
(This story was corrected to repair the work title of Medvedev to the Prime Minister by the President in paragraph 16)
(Report by Anna Hirtenstein and Alexander Marrow in London; enhancing of Hardcastle Elaine)
